US airstrike near Sirte kills 17 ISIS terrorists

US airstrike near Sirte kills 17 ISIS terrorists

US forces conducted six precision airstrikes in Libya against an ISIS desert camp on Friday, killing 17 ISIS militants and destroying three vehicles, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has reported.

The camp was located approximately 150 miles southeast of Sirte and it was used by ISIS to move fighters in and out of the country; stockpile weapons and equipment; and to plot and conduct attacks, AFRICOM said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, the US will stand by Libyan counterparts and supports their efforts to counter terror threats and defeat ISIS in the country, adding that it is committed to maintaining pressure on the terror network and preventing them from establishing safe haven.

It also added that the US will track and hunt ISIS terrorists, degrade their capabilities and disrupt their planning and operations by all appropriate, lawful, and proportional means, including precision strikes against their forces, terror training camps and lines of communication, as well as partnering with Libyan forces to deny safe havens for terrorists in Libya.

AFRICOM added that the US won’t allow ISIS militants to conduct attacks against America or its allies as well as US interests in the world.

Meanwhile, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said last week that ISIS was forming small sleeper cells with tens of fighters in Libyan districts like Bani Walid and Ghat over the last few months, using looting and smuggling networks of fuel and migrants to fund itself.

WSJ added in its report that AFRICOM estimated ISIS militants in Libya to be about 500.